Repair

Bike Repair Tips from Kopp's Cycles

The longest running bike shop in the U.S., Kopp's Cycles, shares secrets from their top wrenches

derek burnett

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1. Prevent pinch flats. Seating tubes and tires before inflating is an easy but often neglected step, says Charles Kuhn. Push the valve halfway into the rim and inflate until the tube holds its shape. Tuck the tube into the tire, check that the valve stem is straight, and seat the bead of the tire all the way around the rim. Then, circling the entire wheel, push the tire away from the rim wall with your thumbs, and look at the gap to ensure the tube isn't trapped between the bead and rim. Push the valve up into the tire and pull it back down. Inflate.

2. Be dry. After a rainy ride, towel off your bike. If you have a steel frame, you must do this to prevent rust. If you don't have steel and you're pressed for time, at least dry the drivetrain, which is most susceptible to premature wear, then the rims--grit there can hurt your braking and wear your rims.

3. Grease anything with threads. Mechanics struggle with fasteners that weren't greased--it either takes them longer to do the repair or they end up breaking the part. Either way, it costs you.

4. Degrease the drivetrain. When your chain is gunky, spray degreaser on, hold a rag against it and backpedal to clean it. Spray and wipe until the chain runs clean against the rag. To finish, degrease chainrings, the cassette and derailleur pulleys to prevent buildup from finding its way onto the chain and speeding wear. Lube up after.

5. Change chains. Most riders don't install new chains every 1,400 to 1,800 miles, or at least once a year. Ride long enough with an old chain, and it will wear your cassette and chainrings, so you have to shell out to replace everything, not just the chain.

6. Be scared by ghost shifting. It's not just annoying, it's a sign of serious drivetrain wear or that the derailleur needs adjusting. If you're riding and this happens, don't use your three largest sprockets in the back, says Kuhn. "Your derailleur may get thrown into the spokes and turn a $15 repair into a $100 one."

7. Silence squealing brakes. If your brakes are complaining, but not completely worn, clean your rims and file the brake pads with an emery board to remove surface glazing.